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Bound by Bars, Free in Mind episode artwork

May 6, 2025 1 hr 22 min

Bound by Bars, Free in Mind

from My blurred opinion Hosted by Timothy West

Matthew Garcia has been in jail for 26 years for second-degree felony murder. He didn't even have a gun, yet he has a life sentence. As an adopted child from North Philadelphia, Matthew has turned his life around in remarkable ways. He is a published author with a book called "Raw Reflections" and graduated with college courses from Villanova, St. Joseph's, Bryn Mawr, and Widener University. Matthew also created his own mentoring program called the Real Rap Program and has scholarships for at-risk youth with Councilman Kenyatta Johnson. Despite these achievements, he remains behind bars due to Pennsylvania's harsh felony murder law. This petition seeks to change the felony murder law in Pennsylvania to make lifers like Matthew eligible for parole. His case shares similarities with Derek Lee’s case that the PA Supreme Court is ready to rule on, including 17 amicus briefs filed on behalf of individuals like him. Please support Matthew Garcia by signing this petition and advocating for fairer sentencing laws in Pennsylvania! If you would like to help Matthew out, the petition is below https://www.change.org/p/change-pennsylvania-s-felony-murder-law-to-allow-parole-for-lifers?recruiter=1338786924&recruited_by_id=1f98e0d0-13f6-11ef-8e42-110cd3ef6ae3&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&utm_medium=copylink#FREEMATTHEWGARCIA

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Bound by Bars, Free in Mind

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This episode was published on May 6, 2025.

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